Self-propelled combine harvesters comprise a chassis, which is supported by front, driven wheels (or caterpillar driving mechanisms) and rear, steerable wheels on the ground. On the front side of the combine harvester, there is an inclined conveyor assembly, on whose front end, in turn, a harvesting attachment is affixed in a detachable manner.
The harvesting attachment can, for example, be designed as a cutting mechanism with a mower bar and a reel located above the mower bar, and a rear cross conveyor auger or a cross conveyor belt, or can be constructed as a corn picker with picking units and a cross conveyor auger. During the harvesting operation, the harvesting attachment releases the out or gathered crop through a backward discharge opening to the inclined conveyer assembly, which it, in turn, conveys into the interior of the combine harvester, where it is threshed, separated, and cleaned.
The inclined conveyor assembly comprises a housing in which, typically, a chain conveyor, working from below circulates around a lower conveyor roller and an upper, conveyor roller, both of which conveyor rollers are supported so that they can rotate on the housing. The lower conveyor roller is situated in the rear of the discharge opening of the harvesting attachment and the upper conveyor roller delivers the crop to an (axial or tangential) threshing drum or to an accelerator roller in the combine harvester.
Inclined conveyor assemblies with conveyor belts, working from above, have also been proposed (DE 1 016 975 A), and an inclined conveyor assembly, working from below, with a rubber-fabric belt, which comprises transverse steel strips, meshing from above into the crop (DE 10 2007 049 839 B3, DE 10 2009 036 104 A1).
In many cases, a so-called pendulum plate is placed on the front end of the inclined conveyor assembly. This is a frame-shaped element, which is hinged, on the one hand, so it can swivel around a (real or virtual) pendulum axle, extending horizontally and in a forward direction, on the housing of the actual inclined conveyor assembly and on which, on the other hand, the harvesting attachment can be placed, for example, by means of upper hooks, which lie on the pendulum plate, from above. The pendulum plate makes possible a swiveling movement of the harvesting attachment, relative to the inclined conveyor assembly, around the horizontal pendulum axle, for example, when driving on a slope. In particular, the swiveling area must be relatively large if the combine harvester is equipped with height-adjustable front wheels, which keep the actual combine harvester and the inclined conveyor assembly horizontal when traveling on a slope. In this regard, reference is made to the state of the art according to DE 100 18 211 A1 and DE 295 19 842 U1.
What is found to be disadvantageous in the known inclined conveyors with a front pendulum plate is that the transfer of the crop from the harvesting attachment to the inclined conveyor assembly with large swivel angles of the harvesting attachment around the pendulum axle has proved to be problematic because an angle forms between the discharge opening of the harvesting attachment and the lower conveyor roller, which is rigidly affixed on the housing of the inclined conveyor, and the pendulum movement of the harvesting attachment does not cooperate. As a result of this angle, the crop must be conveyed on the downward-swiveled side of the harvesting attachment, via a stage upward, which can lead to a jamming of the crop. Moreover, the conveyor of the inclined conveyor does not optimally grab the crop on the downward-swiveled side. Finally, the upward-swiveled side of the harvesting attachment covers the feed roller, which also has a negative effect on the transfer of the crop from the harvesting attachment to the inclined conveyor. As a result, the combine harvester is also affected by the resulting variable thickness of the crop mat, which is not homogeneous over the width, and this can lead to unsatisfactory work results in the threshing and cleaning process.
DE 10 2004 058 116 A1 describes a combine harvester in which a partially flexible adapting device is located between the harvesting attachment and the housing of the inclined conveyor. The adapting device comprises two rectangular frames, coupled with one another by a horizontal pendulum axle, extending in the forward direction, of which one is rigidly coupled with the housing of the inclined conveyor and is affixed on the other frame of the harvesting attachment. Between the two frames, at least on the bottom, two flat spring steel elements are located, which are affixed on one of the frames and are coupled with connecting elements that extend through longitudinal holes into the spring steel elements. In this way, the transfer of the crop from the harvesting attachment into the housing of the inclined conveyor is to be facilitated. This adapting device is a separate element, which is inserted between the usual inclined conveyor and the harvesting attachment, and is constructed relatively short. Therefore, the angle via which the crop on the upward-swiveled side must be lifted upward from the harvesting attachment into the housing of the inclined conveyor, is rather steep, which can lead to conveyance problems on the other side.
The subsequently published DE 10 2012 200 843 A1 shows an inclined conveyor of a combine harvester with a front pendulum plate on which a harvesting attachment is affixed in a detachable manner. The pendulum plate is supported such that it can rotate around a horizontal pendulum axle, extending in the forward direction, relative to the housing of the inclined conveyor, and carries a front inclined conveyor roller, around which an endless, flexible conveyor element circulates, which also circulates around a rear inclined conveyor roller. The bottom of the inclined conveyor is inherently rigid.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages.